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Maghaberry: Demands on prison officers 'unprecedented'

PA Media Maghaberry PrisonPA Media

Pressures caused by the numbers of inmates at Maghaberry Prison are expected to continue for some time, the head of the prison service has said.

Director general Ronnie Armour was speaking after a "disappointing" inspection in the autumn.

The Criminal Justice Inspection and HM Inspector of Prisons report found a "serious drug problem" at the prison.

It said there were also major areas for improvement in the delivery of education, skills and work activities.

Jacqui Durkin, chief inspector of criminal justice in Northern Ireland, said: "Forty-one per cent of prisoners surveyed during this inspection indicated it was easy to get illicit drugs at Maghaberry and 28% said they had developed a drug problem while they were there.

"We found there was no effective or co-ordinated plan in place to reduce the demand for and supply of drugs and no means of assessing the effectiveness of actions taken.

"This needs to be addressed as a priority."

The report identified a number of concerns regarding the prison, which included:

  • Evidence from that some Catholic prisoners had experienced prejudice from some staff members
  • A reluctance from officers to report colleagues for poor behaviour
  • Long waiting lists for important courses such as essential skills in information and communications technology and literacy
  • Staffing difficulties leading to inconsistent training
  • Poor access to psychologically-informed treatment services
  • Absence of an internal investigation to identify immediate learning following deaths in custody
  • Safeguarding issues

Mr Armour said the drugs issue was being addressed with the use of X-ray body scanners.

The head of the prison service also said the demands placed on prison officers were unprecedented.

He said there were now 1,230 prisoners, up from 830 in 2018.

"More than half are being held on remand and therefore do not have to engage in rehabilitative work," he said.

When the inspection was carried out, the number of prisoners stood at 1,050.

"While it is important that we don't seek to make excuses for the decline in service delivery at the prison since the pandemic, no-one should underestimate the pressures prison staff are currently facing," Mr Armour added.

Ronnie Armour stands on the landing of a wing at HMP Maghaberry
Ronnie Armour is director general of the Northern Ireland Prison Service

On the report's comments on the treatment of Catholic prisoners, Mr Armour said this was an allegation taken very seriously and would be investigated.

"No stone should or will be left unturned in dealing with such allegations of unacceptable behaviour," he explained.

Addressing the safeguarding concerns, Ms Durkin added: "We accept the Covid-19 pandemic was challenging for Maghaberry as it has been for all prisons in the United Kingdom and we acknowledge the increase in the prison population and high numbers of men held on remand.

"However, prison leaders must focus on getting prisoners off wing and into the sort of meaningful work, training, education and rehabilitative support that will make them less likely to offend on their release."

The prison service accepted it was struggling with regards to prisoners' access to education, skills and work activities, but said there had been improvement since the inspection.

It also said the most significant area of concern related to the lack of a specialist provision for personality disorder for inmates.

The service accepted demand was growing for such a provision but that resources had not been made available.